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You're going to have to pay $10 to see Lake Elsinore's poppy super bloom this weekend

All visitors heading to Lake Elsinore to see the poppy super bloom this weekend must take shuttles to reach Walker Canyon, officials announced Thursday morning.

Michael Lujan, who serves as the city's police chief, announced during a news conference that shuttles will run from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and cost $10 per person. No pets, except for service animals, will be allowed on the shuttles.

Authorities opted to run shuttles as a way of maintaining order after tens of thousands of people descended on Lake Elsinore to view the blooming poppies on the hills near Interstate 15.

The phenomenon caused major traffic headaches for local residents and led officials to temporarily shut down access to Walker Canyon.

Most of the wildflowers are found in steep canyons, leading people to parts of the canyon that weren't meant to be hiked. They bloomed after an especially wet winter.

This weekend, if traffic again gets too heavy, access to the super bloom could be closed, Lake Elsinore Mayor Steve Manos said.

"While the super bloom has created significant challenges for our community, it has shown the world the natural beauty of Lake Elsinore," Manos said. "And yet, the last few weeks have been unbearable for our residents."

The Nichols Road shuttles will only run on weekends. The last shuttle to the poppies will leave at 5 p.m. and the final, returning shuttle will depart around 7 p.m.

During the week, visitors can still park off Lake Street to view the poppies.

Drivers heading to see the poppies this weekend won't be able to exit at Lake Street. Those looking to catch a shuttle ride must exit at Nichols Road and wait for transportation near the outlets or at a dirt lot on the east side of the freeway, officials said.

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Drivers trying to get into the western parts of Lake Elsinore can exit at Indian Truck Trail and use Temescal Canyon Road to follow detours. Officials are urging residents to avoid the interchanges at Lake Street, Nichols Road and Central Avenue.

Dustin McLain, who serves as Riverside County’s Parks and Resources chief, said it’s important for super bloom watchers to stay on the trails and bring water.

“Two miles downhill in sandals is not fun," he said. "We’ve experienced that over and over.”

McLain predicted the blooms will start to subside in two to three weeks.

Though the super bloom has caused major traffic headaches, it has led to some businesses seeing a flood of customers, Manos said.

One restaurant had to temporarily close to catch up on orders, Manos said. Other shops in the outlet mall started having a lack of merchandise after getting an influx of customers.

"It has been very robust in terms of economic activity in the area," he said.

Shane Newell covers breaking news and the western Coachella Valley cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs. He can be reached at Shane.Newell@DesertSun.com, (760) 778-4649 or on Twitter at @journoshane.